Bob Vila Radio: Rust Removal

Reviving rusty metal tools or furniture is a great indoor winter project, and there are three ways to remove rust.

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Listen to BOB VILA ON RUST REMOVAL or read the text below:

You can grind the rust off using a power grinder fitted with a grinding wheel or disc, or a wire wheel to get into seams or around corners. Work your way up from a coarse grit to a fine 400-grit abrasive for a smooth finish.

You can also use chemicals to soak the rust off, but it can take some time. Soaking doesn’t always leave a smooth finish, and unless you use one of the newer non-toxic, acid-free solutions, you’ll need a lot of ventilation.

If you don’t mind that bumpy finish, the easiest way is to kill the rust is to brush off any flakes with a wire brush and then spray on a converter, which you can buy at any home center. No matter what method you use, always read the safety precautions, and prime before you re-paint.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 75 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

Bob Vila Radio: Drywall Costs

As of January 2nd, U.S. drywall manufacturers increased their prices by 25 to 30%. On top of a similar increase last year, this means that a four-by-eight-foot sheet of drywall that cost you six bucks before the recession will cost twelve this year.

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Bob Vila Radio: Barrier-Free Showers

If you’re thinking about a bathroom remodel, there’s no better time or place to think ahead. Something as simple as the right shower design could be what allows you or a loved one to stay in your home as you get older.

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Bob Vila Radio: Tool Tip – Flashlights

Save your eyes and shed a little light on the job you’re doing with the right flashlight.

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Listen to BOB VILA ON FLASHLIGHTS or read the text below:

LED flashlights are illuminating the market, ranging from twelve-hundred-lumen models for over a hundred bucks to ten-lumen miniatures that cost less than ten bucks and fit on a zipper pull.

Light output in lumens, however, isn’t everything: without the right optics, the light doesn’t go very far or focus very well. Check the flashlight’s beam distance and peak beam intensity before you buy, to be sure all that power is actually going to make it easier to see objects at a distance in the dark.

Run time is also important: check how long the flashlight is tested to last before it starts losing power. For an apples-to-apples comparison, keep to manufacturers who follow the ANSI/FL1 testing standard for flashlights.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

Bob Vila Radio: Space Heaters

If your home has cold, drafty spots, this is the time of year you’ll notice them. Rather than cranking up the heat in the whole house to compensate, however, sometimes it’s more efficient to use an electric space heater where and when you need it, as long as you keep safety in mind.

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Bob Vila Radio: Lithium-Ion Batteries

Cordless power tools, and now lithium-ion batteries, have revolutionized the home improvement world. But anyone who’s been held up by a dead battery knows these tools have limitations. Here’s how to get the most out of your batteries.

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Listen to BOB VILA ON LITHIUM ION BATTERIES or read the text below:

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t want to run your lithium-ion batteries down completely before recharging them. They do much better when they’re charged frequently and stored with a partial charge.

Temperature is a big factor with lithium-ion batteries as well. They work and charge better between forty and eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, so you don’t want to store or charge them where they’ll get too hot or cold.

Unless you want your batteries to decide when the job’s done, always have at least two and use them equally frequently; like anything else, with batteries, it’s ‘use it or lose it’!

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

Bob Vila Radio: Log Splitter

If you heat your house with wood, you know how expensive buying firewood can be. Cutting, splitting, and drying a cord of wood adds so much to its price that if you are lucky enough to have the natural resources (the trees), it’s well worth doing it yourself.

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